Underage drinking

Adrian Bajada's letter (May 11) concentrates mostly on underage drinking by foreign students in Paceville. He is absolutely right about this but I would like to widen his appeal to the authorities and ask them to start taking things seriously in all places of entertainment, be it Paceville, Bugibba, Marsascala or wherever.

Naturally, any measures against underage drinking should cover all youths under the age of 16, foreign or Maltese. The foreigners may frequent bars and discos at specific times of the year when they visit our island supposedly to learn English, while Maltese youngsters are there every weekend of the year.

The authorities, mainly the police in these areas, are not doing their counterparts in other sections any justice. They are blatantly failing in their duty to prevent these youths from entering bars and discos, drinking alcohol and in many circumstances getting drunk. Surely the police know, and it is no secret, that after 8 p.m. on a Saturday evening these areas are bursting at the seams with 13- and 14-year-olds. They do not just walk about the streets but many are actually downing their vodkas, cheap wine or even whiskey which seems to have become popular again in the past months.

Of course, the courts are also to blame. Their leniency is sometimes beyond comprehension. If they only shut down a place for a few days when a bar owner repeatedly allows youngsters onto his premises, others will think twice and will try and switch their trade away from the underage generation to more adult clients.

What has happened to the committee which has been advising the Minister for Social Solidarity on measures to be taken to curb drinking by youngsters? When is the age for drinking alcohol going to be raised to 18 as mentioned so many times? When will a general ban on alcohol sales, in bottles or cartons from supermarkets, shops etc. to those under the legal age limit be introduced?

It is useless to make any changes if those who are empowered to enforce the law fail to do so firmly and fairly. It is unfortunate that a few unscrupulous bar owners gave a bad name to those who uphold the law.